Clandestine

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Choosing Day

Choosing day. The day I've been waiting for since I was a child. The day I've dreamt about for years. The day I survived for.

Today I will get the chance to meet the dragons and hopefully one will choose to bond with me.

"What if they don't want to bond with me?" I ask my father. We both were laying on a blanket in the backyard, watching the stars. We used to come out here every night and watch the stars together. My dad got a new job working for the king not that long ago, which has him gone most nights. The only nice part is the stories he gets to tell me now.

"They will." He tries to assure me. "You have to be worried about more than one of them choosing you." He laughs lightly.

"I'm not strong." I shrug. "Why would they choose me."

"They don't care about strength in that way." He tells me. "They care about who you are on the inside."

I blink a few times, letting his woods sink in.

"They can see how determined you are, your courage. They'll see that you will do anything you put your mind to." He spoke softly, "You have everything the dragons are looking for."

I blink, being brought back to reality. I had hoped I had woken up early enough to shower before anyone else woke up. Of course he would shower at this time as well.

"Good morning." Xander spoke, bringing my feet to a halt. He stood in front of me, his hair dripping from having just showered, his towel over his shoulder. His bare shoulder.

My eyes drop, he wasn't wearing a shirt... Water droplets rolled down his chest. I bit my lip as my gaze travels even lower.

He was wearing black sweat pants. My breath got caught in my throat when I saw the bulge pushing out the front of his sweats. What was on his mind?

He clears his throat getting my attention immediately.

"Good morning." I rush out, my face heating up. "Why are you up so early?" I ask, hoping he wouldn't speak about me checking him out. It's bad enough he knows, no need to draw more attention to it.

"I could ask you the same." His eyes darken, tilting his head down to look at me. I feel so small standing next to him, he had to be six feet tall, if not taller. Causing me to have to look up at him all the time.

"Well I asked first." I tell him. His lips tilts up in a smile, making me melt.

He watches me for a moment before saying, "Well, I had to get up early to turn in the list of names of the people who will be participating today from our squad, then I came back to shower."

I swallow, "Was my name on there?" He didn't answer for a moment, stalling my heart. I wont sit today out. I refuse to.

"Yes." He finally spoke, but his voice causes me to freeze up. There was something else behind his words. I watch him, waiting for him to continue. "You have to be cleared by the doctor first."

"But that's not till next week." My eyes fill with tears and I take a deep breath, blinking them away.

"I know." He whispers. "So I've asked Alek to see you this morning."